scubacruiserx2

 Dinner was at the hotel where we usually had breakfast

Pat had more of the Gunaco and it's still a little chewy

A nice glass of wine came with dinner but we had some Pisco Sour in the room

12 hours ago, valemart_1 said:

 

That´ll be a great family holiday – the best possible investment!

Has your son had the chance of travelling through Peru at all? It´s a fascinating country, and as well as Cuzco, Machu Picchu and Lima, their archeological digs North of Lima have unearthed remains of precolumbian and pre-inca cities like Chan Chan.

 

I coincide with your choices for future trips, although sadly the Middle East is going through a terrible time, and your “Big Boy” is too far for us. But I recommend Switzerland, it´s totally doable!!! Let me tempt you:

 

As we have to take expensive flights to get to Europe we usually combine several trips in one. In late September 2014 we went on our absolute favourite trip, 26 days starting in Switzerland: 4 days in Zermatt, the Glacier Express train over the Alps (glorious scenery) to St. Moritz, Bernina Express train to Lake Como and 4 days in Varenna, Trenitalia to Venice and 5 days there, ending in a 7-day cruise to Athens and the Greek Isles.

 

We could have called it a day there and then, but as we always try to finish a trip relaxing in some dreamy place we took a train from Venice to Salerno and then a private car to Ravello, high up overlooking the Amalfi coast, one of our favourite places in the world. We stayed one night in the Hotel Parsifal, an ancient monastery dating back to 1288, and then moved to a cottage with a view of Amalfi Bay for 4 days before taking a flight from Naples Airport and heading home…

  Our Son , DIL and our grandson Dante gave us a facetime call from Machu Picchu on December 27th , not long before we left on our trip . Carmen's family lives in Lima and this was their 3rd or 4th trip there .

 Switzerland sounds like the best bet in 2025 if we're still around . Fall is a great time for us to beat the heat and Hurricane season and we like to see the leaves changing . We do have time to plan add on stops .   BTW I'm 73 and the hike to the waterfall was only about a mile total and mostly flat . Much less than Punta Tombo .

  Passing by our hotel to lunch because we knew that we had a free dinner there we went back to try lunch at La Tapera . The menu was the same as the night before but we were the only people there which gave us time to interact with the staff who are very laid back . 

We sat next to the firepit the night before .

Here's the ladder on the right ( the naval term for stairs ) which led to the washroom .

We forgot that they collected plates or we would have brought a Florida one . Here's one from where we spent our 46th marriage birthday .

I ate light with soup and an empanada

We split a dessert skyscraper

We really like this place and would recommend it . We did indulge in a siesta as an old tradition from my Firefighter days when we worked 24 hour shifts . It works well in Florida to stay out of the hot midday sun .

  The return trip to the town .

The Hotel on the hill .

14 hours ago, valemart_1 said:

 

Thank you! I wish we´d had your advice re finding a cruise with 4 days in the Antarctic… We tend to make one “big” trip a year (around 35 days) but after the pandemic we did two cruises and saved money booking the Infinity at a very good price but only one day in Antarctica!

 

On our land trips we usually spend several days in each place in an Airbnb, alternating between “cultural” trips and wonderful scenery. Thank you for recommending Inside Lisbon, we´ll certainly keep it in mind! We´re going to stay 3 days in Lisbon (we´ve been there before), 2 in Obidos and 4 in Porto where my husband Martin´s family come from, ending up in Rome for a week. We´re going to indulge in what is now known as “Slow Travel”…

 

I´m already reading your Eclipse thread! We did a west-bound TA on her sister ship Equinox and loved it. I´m also looking forward to getting to the Moscow part to compare notes, as we did an independent trip to Russia in 2015. On that occasion we were happy to have stretched our budget and booked private guides in Moscow and St Petersburg, and we did so again on a trip to Egypt and the Holy Land. But normally we do our own thing.

 

I´m way off topic, so let me add that I´m enjoying your Chalten photos and also your captions! Thank you again for sharing!

Madeleine

  We thank you for sharing your input and ideas . The BIG 3 trips that we would like to do is Egypt and the Holy Land . Switzerland and the countries of the Alps and the Big boy . That would be Australia and dive the Barrier reef on a liveaboard for a week and cruise to New Zealand and back through Tahiti and Hawaii to the West coast of the US .

 We haven't been to Rome but our son and DIL with their son have and loved it . She is from Peru and they were down there for Christmas , and her brother's birthday . The last time that they were down they wanted our son to give a 30 minute speech at his niece's speech at her Quinceañera . Needless to say they are all fluent in English and Spanish .

  Our next cruise will be our annual family holiday which falls between Thanksgiving and Christmas . We do it then because our oldest daughter and our DIL are both nurses and usually have to work on one or the other holiday . It's only a week on the Neuiw Amsterdam but there's 4 stops including Grand Turk , Bahamas , the DR and Key West .

 After breakfast we decided to take a short hike because of the wind and our old knees . Additionally being flatlanders our breathing is not as easy as someone who lives at altitude .  So slow and steady it was with hiking poles .

We enjoyed it when we were told to go take a hike 

It had warmed a bit but was still very pleasant

My mom's parents lived in the country and had no running water in their house so they had an outhouse like the one that we used in the woods , only not elevated . And this one was more fancy , a 2 seater !

  The view of the dining room

The view from the dining room

The room that we stayed in on our first trip there was on the 1st floor

The room that we stayed on the second trip was directly above on the 2nd floor

The reading or lounging room on the 2nd floor

 All of the people that worked there were very nice and it was quite at night . All of the people at the desk were from Buenos Aires . Like us when we were their age we moved from the city . Unfortunately , the city has followed us with people who don't like things quite and /or nature . We had about 40 years before the city caught up to us .

  Breakfast back at the Hotel 

And a breakfast sandwich

 Entering El Chalten by crossing the Fitzroy River which was moving fast

As  busy as bees

The city is big with backpackers

And Skiers

High risk of fire hazard

9 hours ago, valemart_1 said:

 

I´ve been following your trip avidly! We´ll be on the Star´s TA departing Rio April 10^th  and I just popped in to learn a bit more about the ship, but I got hooked! Especially because we went to Antarctica last February on Celebrity Infinity but the weather was cloudy, misty and bitterly cold in Paradise Bay and we missed the Falklands (yet again! third time for me…). So I particularly enjoyed all your photos and descriptions enormously – I read all 20 pages in two days. Your penguin pics are amazing!

We live in Argentina´s lake district and have done three 6,600 Km road trips to the “deep south”: typically Chaltén, Calafate, Torres del Paine, Punta Arenas and Ushuaia plus side trips, but you´ve managed to see in a short time all that we´ve seen taking all the time in the world! Your wonderful photographic record brought back fond memories...

As an Argentine I felt embarrassed when I read about your luggage being opened and when you had to go out and buy a new suitcase, but you have the right attitude: not to let that affect you and spoil your day.

Thank you for sharing your trip with us, and best wishes to you both on your travels!

Madeleine

  Thank you Madeleine for you kind words and we're glad that you enjoy the photos and hope that you will enjoy the Star and your trip . If you have any questions please don't be afraid to ask .

We hope that you will enjoy your TA cruise . 

  We are sorry that you didn't have good weather and that's why we recommend a longer visit to Antarctica . Our first visit was 4 days and had 2 good and 2 not so good plus the trip to Patagonia first , before the cruise which we liked better  

  Our 3 favorite cruises over the years have been the 22 day Santiago to BA with 4 days in Antarctica and 9 in Patagonia . The Baltic from London including Russia , but not with the current President . We have friends there and none of them approve of the invasion of the Ukraine . We try not to allow the bad behavior of a couple of rotten eggs spoil most of the good people but it's hard when he is the leader . We have had some here in our country that we didn't much care for .  Lastly , a Transatlantic on the Eclipse from my home town of Miami to London . We did stay in Russia with a visa but Medvedev was in office . We really liked London and and had a great tour in Lisbon . We would recommend Inside Lisbon there if you've never been .https://insidelisbon.com/

  The account of our TA and London / Russia stay was our most successful thread with 380 K views before CC closed it to further replies . But it and the photos can still be seen here .

 In this photo you can see our Hotel . It's the red one set on a hill . Here's a video of the ride up the hill . I can't imagine having to walk up the hill with luggage 

 A Canon with a telephoto

Some photos from my Sony pocket camera . I use it for food , panoramas and video mostly .

Mount Fitzroy . What I thought were shadows at a distance were just greenery . It's over 11,000 feet tall !

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitz_Roy

No gas lines at the only station

   Before breakfast the sun out and we took the cameras for a ride .

It looks like the mushrooms were sprouting

While we were watching the lenticular clouds we were being watched

You can hear how windy it is . It's always windy in Patagonia .

Mount Fitzroy ( the Captain of the Beagle )

  After dinner and a nice warm bath in the bubble tub we sat down to relax and check out the e mail and the weather . It was still raining a little but the wind was fierce . And yet we opened windows a bit . They tilt open at the top a bit but slammed shut . So a square box of dental tape wedged the window open . It sounded like a hurricane was coming , just like the last time we were here in 2019 - not long before Covid hit .

We were told that we had a free dinner at the hotel so we made it for the next night . The first night we wanted to go the place where we ate the last time that we were there .

It's small inside and it's 2 stories with the wash rooms up a steep stairway .

I had the soup of the day and someone else had Gunaco

Berry Cheesecake and a sugar tower

  When we checked into our hotel they were as nice as they could be with warm cookies and helping us with our bags , but refusing a tip .

The shower

The tub 

They even had a drinking fountain for our service dog , which we don't have .

 The view

   We must be getting close  to El Chal'ten now

 The turn marker at 23 , head West old man .

Entering the town on a cold, windy , rainy day 

 The strike had a far reach . The gas line was an hour long but the locals got a short cut .

  It had been 4 hours since leaving El Calafate so we stopped at the Tourist Reception for a map and to wash our hands . No maps , but I got lucky and got the handicapped stall .

 In many countries unlike the US , cruise and airline industry , people don't acknowledge the ADA by giving front row seats .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_with_Disabilities_Act_of_1990

14 minutes ago, Huntingdon1701 said:

Great picture of the Southern Caracara!

 

Did you have a preferred spot on the ship for viewing outside? Was it too cold for Spice?

 Thank you well spotted ! Our favorite spot was the cabin as it had a forward and a Starboard balcony . Our normal preferred spot is aft , out of the wind so Spice was a good spot also . Here's our video of the cabin.

  At our first viewpoint of El Calafate it didn't look too promising

We did see varied wild life

We were hoping that it would not try this stunt that we saw the last time we were there

As we had seen the results of a big fail this time

  We had slept in a couple of hours and ate a later breakfast and it was busy . We had overheard some English speaking people who were upset that their flights had been canceled on Wednesday and they had to spend another night because of a labor strike . We had seen a gathering at a park when we had rented the car and we remembered that our guide told us that there would be a strike in Buenos Aries on Wednesday because a lot of the Trade Union people didn't like the new President of the country . We filled our gas tank before we left on our trip to El Chalten the night before because the stations wasn't busy and there are no gas stations in the 3 hour trip . 

  I guess we should call them service stations since , in a Back to the Future moment , the attendant filled the tank and cleaned the windows .

So with full stomachs and a full tank we set out East toward the airport . We turned North on the famous Route 40 , think Route 66 in the US . It runs 3,100 miles North and South .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Route_40_(Argentina)

We would first pass Lago Argentino before crossing the  Rio La Leona which links North to Lake Viedma where we would turn left and head West to the town .

 On our last night in El Calafate we went back to Bocanada instead of Pura Vida . This was our favorite place to eat there . This time we had Curry and Pad Thai in addition to Sushi . As we left the Hotel to go to dinner we saw a rainbow in front of the hotel .

It was better than what we ate on the Star .

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g312851-d13004531-Reviews-Bocanada-El_Calafate_Province_of_Santa_Cruz_Patagonia.html

1 hour ago, VJWcruiser said:

Got our post cruise questionnaire and one of the questions was how we enjoyed Paradise Bay. Well, we might have loved it if we actually saw it ....but that didn't happen. Way to rub salt in those wounds!

  When and how did you get a post cruise questionnaire ? We never got one and we were on the January 7th cruise . HAL sends one for each of us within 5 days and wants it returned within the 5 days .

 So what was the single biggest thing that we disliked about this cruise to Antarctica on NCL and our stay in Patagonia ? 

 Well the most obvious is the cost , the time and it being inconvenient . But the worse thing for us is the weather . Not there , but here . We hate leaving the good weather here this time of the year . When I woke up this morning it was 49 F in Punta Arenas , 48 F in Ushuaia and 47 F here where we live . The difference ? It will get to 68 F here today but the humidity is 98 %  

  It's funny that when my FIL came to visit us one January from Michigan , he complained about it being cold and said that he would never come back in January .

 Pat and I used to work together at a place that made artificial Kidneys . She worked a 12 hour day shift and I worked a 12 hour night shift . There were some Russian people that worked with me and when we stepped outside for a smoke break one night they complained about the cold ! One of the ladies said that she had never been so cold  !   🤪

  I had never been to Russia before or I would have quoted her the Russian Proverb . There is no bad weather , only bad clothing .

 Returning from the glacier to El Calafate thru the lens of a different camera .

Lenticular Clouds ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenticular_cloud